This year’s Pura Belpré winners and honor books provide the ideal opportunity to get to know their authors and illustrators—such as Susan Guevara, Yuyi Morales, and Duncan Tonatiuh—better and use these distinguished titles in a library or classroom setting.

This article was published in School Library Journal's March 2015 issue. Subscribe today and save up to 35% off the regular subscription rate.

The all-female conceived and produced “Lumberjanes” comics are truly a unique team effort. SLJ caught up with three of the creators, Shannon Watters, Noelle Stevenson, and Brooke Allen to discuss their collaborative process and inspiration for the campy series.

This article was published in School Library Journal's March 2015 issue. Subscribe today and save up to 35% off the regular subscription rate.

While the setting for The Appetites of Girls is specifically Brown University in 1993, the emotions and issues explored throughout the book are universal. “AB4T” blogger Diane Colson goes behind-the-scenes with author Pamela Moses who is intimately familiar with this college environment.

A Chicago blizzard prevented many of the authors of the recognized titles from attending the Morris/Nonfiction awards, but Morris winner Isabel Quintero managed to take the stage, and Nonfiction winner Maya Van Wagenen gave librarians a shout out via video.

Shane W. Evans has been able to present powerful episodes in our nation’s history through simple language and bold, dramatic illustrations. He has also collaborated with a number of authors in illustrating biographies and other books on our history.

Reading Rainbow’s LeVar Burton talks about his first children’s book The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm, published by his multimedia company RRKidz, about a depressed rhino, a character that Burton hopes can help kids overcome the social stigma of mental illness.

Pushing boundaries? That’s nothing new for three-time Caldecott winner David Wiesner, author and illustrator of stunningly original picture books. Lately he’s been busy working on an app for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt that offers viewers intriguing imaginary worlds to explore. The title is Spot, and it’s due to release on February 19th. We had a chance to view a demo of the app and talk with Wiesner about the fruition of a story he describes as “long simmering.”

SLJ caught up with Lynda Blackmon Lowery, whose recent book Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the Selma Voting Rights March details her experiences participating in the civil rights movement as a teenager.

What better way to celebrate Mock Newbery season than by announcing the 16 candidates in SLJ’s Battle of the Kids’ Books? The first match of the virtual book elimination tournament doesn’t start until March 9, but these contenders are raring to go.

In “Draw What You See: The Life and Art of Benny Andrews,” illustrated with the artist’s oil paintings and collage compositions, Kathleen Benson highlights the words Andrews chose to paint by, and to encourage those he taught.

CNN legal analyst and host Sunny Hostin (left) with Ilyasah Shabazz (center) and her coauthor Kekla Magoon at the launch for their YA book, X: A Novel on January 6. They were in conversation at the 92nd St. Y as part of the organization’s YA Lit at 92Y series.